Advertising apparatus



July 5, 1932 W. l. O NElLL ADVERTI S ING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1930INVENTOR. I W475i! 07%? 2W ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATESWALTER I. ONEILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADVERTISING APPARATUS Application filed April 25,

My present invention relates in general to advertising or displayapparatus of the type in which a real image of the article or device tobe advertised is caused to appear outside the apparatus, or outside ashow window when the apparatus is positioned therein, thereby creatingan optical illusion of the actual article apparently unsupported inspace when viewed from withina predetermined zone in front of theapparatus.

Heretofore in advertising apparatus of this general type the opticalillusion has been created by the use of a spherical mirror and specialobject lighting apparatus. Such apparatus requires the article to beadvertised to be supported in an inverted position in the apparatus inorder that the image appears upright or vice versa. This fact materiallylimits the use of the apparatus as it prevents the use of certainobjects, such as live animals, which because of their construction ornature, cannot be held in the necessary inverted position. A further andequally important disadvantage is that a commercial article carryingreading matter would appear in the projected image with its letteringreversed, unless a special form of the arti cle carrying the letteringin reversed form is used as the object, or unless the reading matterwere eliminated with a consequent loss in the advertising effect.

The main object of my present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction and mode of operation of advertising apparatus of thisgeneral type.

A further and more specific object is the provision of image creatingadvertising ap paratus in which the usual commercial form of the articleto be advertised can be used as the object.

Another object of my invention is the pro vision of image creatingadvertising apparatus adapted for use with an object in an erect, orupright, position.

A further object is the provision of advertising apparatus of this typewith a construe tion and arrangement especially adapted for thesuccessive display of various articles by a demonstrator.

The various features of novelty which 1930. Serial No. 447,394.

characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a betterunderstanding of the invention however, and the advantages possessed byit reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptivematter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodimentof the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation in perspective of a preferred form of my improvedadvertising apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus in use with certain parts brokenaway and in section to more clearly illustrate the apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and with otherparts broken away.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, the apparatuscomprises an elongated casing A of rectangular vertical cross-sectionand open at its forward end. The casing illustrated is divided into ahorizontal longitudinal section A, an intermediate rearwardly andlaterally inclined section A and a rear lateral section A all of whichare determined by the desired path of the optical axis X of theapparatus. The various casing sections are secured together so to form acontinuous structure, closed at its rear end by a hinged door A, asshown. The inner side of the door or adjacent portion of the casing isprovided with suitable means for supporting an article O to bedisplayed. 35 Such supporting means may well be a pin A or stand onwhich the article is positioned.

The inner side of the casing walls is preferably blackened in a wellknown manner to absorb any light falling thereon. The article isilluminated by a suitable light source, such as an elongatedincandescent lamp S, arranged in one of the walls of the rear casingsection. The lamp S is shown as positioned slightly in front of andabove the top of the article" and the light rays from the lamp arereflected onto the article by a semi-cylindrical reflector S, causing itto stand out clear and distinct from the adjacent wall surface of thecasing.

Supported adjacent the junction of the middle and rear casing sectionsand facing the article is a plane mirror B, arranged with its upper endinclined towards the article so that light rays therefrom will bereflected forwardly and downwardly. The mirror "B as shown in Figs. 2and 3, is also turned sufiiciently to cause the optical axis of thereflected light rays to bend laterally along the rays is brought intocoincidence with the longitudinal axis of the section A.

With the above described mirror arrangement, a perverted erect verticalimage of the article can be observed on facing the mirror B from therear end of the casing, and an unperverted inverted vertical image inthe mirror C when looking from the open end of the casing.

In the otherwise open forward end of the casing A is arranged aprojection lens system, which, in the embodiment illustrated, consistsof a pair of plano-convex lenses F and F arranged as shown and slightlyspaced apart in a longitudinally adjustable sleeve member F. In thesystem, the lens F acts substantially as a collimating lens to renderthe reflected rays from the mirror C arallel. Other lens combinationsmay be used in conjunction with, or in lieu of, the combination shownfor the correction of spherical or chromatic aberration.

The advertising apparatus described is primarily intended for use in ashow window G with the front end of the casing adjacent to, or insertedin a suitable opening in, the window glass G. The apparatus ispreferably mounted on suitable supporting members G.

With this arrangement of the parts an article in its usual commercialform may be positioned at the end of the casing as mdicated and the lampS connected toa suitable source of electrical energy by externalconductors S. With the lenses of the projection system properlyproportioned and positioned relative to the mirror 0, an erect realimage I of the object will appear in front of the apparatus. Varying thelongitudinal position of the projection lenses in the casingcorrespondingly varies the position and size of the image I. The aparatus is preferably positioned within t e show window in such aposition that the image created appears in space over the adjoiningsidewalk at a point a foot or two externallyof the window.

To maintain the compactness of the. apparatus while effecting thecreation of a real image of the object substantially the same size asthe object, a double convex magnifying lens H is arranged in the casing.section A between the mirrors B and C, and positioned to intercept thereflected rays from the mirror B. In the .arrangement shown, the mirrorB is slightly within the focal length of the lens H and the mirror C atthe opposite side of the lens therefore reflects an enlarged image ofthe article. The mirror C is preferably positioned-slightly beyond thefocal distance of theprojection lens combination, so that the imagecreated appears in front of the window G at a point slightly beyond thefocal length of the combination.

The image I will appear clear and distinct in space and with any markingor lettering thereon in the same form as on the article 0, particularlywhen observed from within the zone indicated by the angles ain Fig. 2and b in Fig. 3. In the drawing the sohd arrows indicate the variouserect or inverted positions of the object and images thereof, while thebroken arrows in Fig. 2 indicate the direction of the lettering thereon.The image appears to be three-dimensional, and thus creates a veryrealistic illusion of the article. The various optical elements of theapparatus can be rearranged and proportioned to' increase or decreasethis zone of observance in accordance with local conditions. The projection lenses are necessarily of greater diameter than the distancebetween the eyes of the observer.

Heretofore in advertising apparatus of this general type, the opticalillusion became va e and indistinct as the intensity of the lig texternally of the show window increased, unless the intensity of thelight source S was correspondingly increased. In the present apparatus,this difficulty is substantially eliminated by constructing asubstantial portion of the casing adjacent the object O with windows Kof ribbed glass,

through which external light rays pass directly onto the object. By thisconstruction and arrangement the light source S can be maintained at aconstant intensity and any change in intensity of the external lightwill be transmitted to a substantial extent to the object compartment ofthe apparatus.

The specific arrangement of the casin sections, and particularly thesection A, Illustrated is advantageous in that it permits a moreconvenient use of the ap aratus by a demonstrator in the window, an alsobecause the amount of external light received by the object iscorrespondingly increased as the windows K approach the window glass G.

While inaccordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my inventionnow known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed Withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may beused to advantage without a corresponding use of other features, such asfor example, the elimination of the mirrors and/or magnifying lens, andthe consequent arrangement of the article in an inverted positionadjacent to the projection lens system.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An advertising apparatus adapted for window display use comprising anenclosing casing, an object positioned in said casing, a light source insaid casing adjacent to said object, a projection lens system in saidcasing in the optical axis of the reflected light rays from said object,and a magnifying lens positioned between said object and projection lenscombination with said object optically within the focal length of saidmagnifying lens, whereby in operation an image of said object willappear in space in front of said apparatus.

2. An advertising apparatus adapted for window display use comprising anenclosing casing, an object in its usual commercial form positioned insaid casing, a light source in said casing adjacent to said object, anda projection lens system in the forward portion of said casing in theoptical axis of the reflected light rays from said object, whereby inoperation an image of said object will appear in space in front of saidapparatus.

3. An advertising apparatus comprising a casing, an object located insaid casing, a light source in said casing of constant inten sity andadjacent to said object, a projection lens system positioned in theforward end of said casing, a magnifying lens positioned between saidobject and lens system with said object within .its focal length,whereby in operation an image of said object will appear in space infront of said apparatus,--and means for supplementing said light sourceity of windows in said casing adjacent said object.

5. An advertising apparatus comprising a casing, a commercial object inan upright position in said casing, a light source located adjacent tosaid object, a projection lens system arranged in said casing, a mirrorlocated. in said casing and facing said object, and a second mirrorfacing said first mirror, whereby in operation an erect image of saidobject will appear in space in front of said apparatus.

6. An advertising apparatus comprising a casing, an object in an uprightposition in said casing, a light source located adjacent to said object,a projection lens system arranged in said casing, a plane mirror facingsaid object, a second plane mirror in said casing facing both said firstmirror and projection lens system, and a magnifying lens opticallypositioned between said mirrors, said optical parts being positioned inoperation to create an erect real image of sub stantially the same sizeof said object in space in front of said apparatus.

7. An advertising apparatus comprising an elongated casing having anupper lateral extension, an object in its usual commercial form in anupright position in said extension, a light source located above saidobject, a projection lens system in the forward end of said casing, aplane mirror angularly arranged in said extension and facin said object,a second plane mirror facingioth said first mirror and lens system, anda magnifying lens optically positioned between said mirrors, whereby inoperation an erect real image of substantially the same size as saidobject will appear in space in front of said ap aratus.

igned at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 23rd day of April, A. D. 1930.

WALTER I. ONEHIL- in accordance with changes in intensity of the lightin front of said apparatus.

4. An advertising apparatus adapted for window display use comprising acasing,

means for supporting an objectin one end of said casing, a light sourceadjacent to said object, a projection lens system positioned in theopposite end of said casing, a magnifying lens positioned between saidobject and lens system with said object within its focal length, wherebyin operation an image of said object will appear in space in front ofsaid apparatus, and means for supplement-ing said light source inaccordance with changes in intensity of the light in front of saidapparatus including a plural-

